Stats about Anna, in no particular order:

Life Before Park Advisory Councils and Kids:

Pre-kids, I was an avid sky diver. I can no longer spend the weekend sky-diving so look for other adventures. We’ve tried static and swinging trapeze. This last year we got into indoor rock climbing. Now, the whole family enjoys climbing on the weekends.

Volunteering:

My husband and I bought our house in 2009. It's located five houses away from Independence Park. When my daughter was young, Independence Park became a second home. In 2010, my neighbor forwarded an email asking if I wanted to help bring the circus to Independence Park to help raise funds for a new playground. The playground, by the way, had wood chips and old, rotting equipment. Independence Park also has a lot of special recreation programming drawing a large special needs population and we didn’t have an accessible playground. That needed to change.

Anna with the Independence Park Council

The Circus as Instigator:

The circus kicked things off. A core group, including myself and neighbors, got involved with the park advisory council that year and are still there today. We learned how to fund raise, organize and work with the Chicago Park District and elected officials hosting the first Midnight Circus in the Parks and many subsequent fund raisers and circuses.

No matter their mood when they enter the tent, people always leave Midnight Circus in the Parks with a smile on their face.

Rain, Sleet, Snow or Shine:

One year during our circus weekend, I was sure we would have to cancel. It wasn’t just rain, it was a a downpour with very strong winds. But, the community showed up. We quickly moved ticket sales inside. Our pop up tents for face painting, concessions and ticket sales had collapsed due to the heavy deluge. The mud was so thick, our boots kept getting stuck in the mud, so we kicked them off and went around barefoot. The show went on, we filled the tent.

A favorite memory is seeing the young at heart wearing their noses along side the children running around with their red noses.

Circus at Home:

For our first circus in 2011, Sam [the daughter of Jeff and Julie Jenkins] was too young to be in the circus and it has been amazing to watch her grow up and become a circus star. Even though we only see the Jenkins family once a year, they have had a profound effect on my family. After the circus tent comes down, my kids play circus for months afterwards. They sell tickets and stand on furniture to perform.

Dollars Raised:

To make the playground happen, we had to raise $100,000. I’m proud of what we as a community have been able to do. This money was hard fought and hard earned in nearly $25 increments. The Chicago Park District, our Alderman, John Arena and our State Representative, Jaime Andrade, came up with the additional revenue needed and figured out how to make this playground happen.

Plans for the park

Just before Thanksgiving 2016, our community was given something to be very thankful for, we got our new playground! We plan to have a BIG party and ribbon cutting ceremony in the spring. It's so fun to see the community out and about, even in this cold weather, and enjoying the new playground.

Old Playground

New Playground

Fun fact: I have never actually sat through a show. Maybe this year, since Independence Park is not hosting the circus, will be my year to see the show from start to finish.

Amy Ewaldt, President of the Maplewood and Lucy Flower Park Advisory Council (MLFPAC), invited me and Maria Stone, Community Relations Manager for the Chicago Park District, to take a walking tour of her community.

Joyce Chapman was born in Japan to an African American dad and Japanese mother. Her father, a soldier with the Army, met her mother while stationed in Japan. Joyce’s early years were that of a typically ‘Army brat’ living in various places throughout the world. In June of 1968 when Joyce was twelve, her parents settled in the Pullman neighborhood of Chicago. Pullman was a bit of a shock to Joyce and her brother. They had never lived in a solely black community before.

Asiaha Butler (pronounce Ay-Sha) has a positive energy that’s infectious. She saw a problem in her community of Englewood and wanted to make a difference. She didn’t know where to start, at first, but that didn’t stop her. Until recently, she was working downtown at the Institute of Real Estate Management, an association for property managers, as the supervisor for Education Services. Anyone who meets Asiaha knows she’s a natural leader. Plus, from her years in the business, she understood real estate and development. Butler felt she had the capacity to make an impact, the question was how.

The park had an amazing neighborhood advocate, Tom Cunningham, who basically served as a one-man advisory council. He pushed for the new playground that was installed ten years ago and the new roof on the field house. When Tom passed, I felt compelled to get involved to help continue his work.

Midnight Circus in the Parks was founded on the belief that community involvement is the foundation on which to build long‐term success with positive effects lasting well beyond a two‐hour performance. To that end, all performances are affordable, accessible, and provide a platform for community groups to volunteer, fund raise and become active arts participants. Along with the wonderful Park Advisory Councils (PACs) at each park, Midnight Circus in the Parks seeks out extraordinary community organizations to collaborate with in the neighborhoods we play.

It all started at a Welles Park Advisory Council meeting about eleven years ago. Jeff and Julie Jenkins walked in with a video of Midnight Circus and an idea to help the park raise the money to redo our terribly run down play lot. The second I saw the video, I knew, if we built it, they would come. We had just organized our Easter Egg Extravaganza with pizza, an art project and Easter bunny raising $6,000. The community was ready.